


that deal was done long ago (i know i'm dammed)

by sammyspreadyourwings



Series: of trees that fall into the sea [2]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magic, Demon Deals, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forests, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Magical Realism, Protective John Deacon, Soul Selling, Spells & Enchantments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 825
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24194137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sammyspreadyourwings/pseuds/sammyspreadyourwings
Summary: John has always been two things: protective of those he loves and reckless with the rules. The day Julie had an accident both of those things collided and changed the course of his life.Veronica only wants to help.
Series: of trees that fall into the sea [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1746139
Comments: 6
Kudos: 15





	that deal was done long ago (i know i'm dammed)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [sweetestsight](https://archiveofourown.org/users/sweetestsight/gifts).



> A Drabble I promised, A drabble it is.
> 
> Sweetestsight made me a mood board for this AU, and I promised a drabble in payment. So here it is!
> 
> Enjoy!

“You’re some kind of dumb.”

John looks up from the scrying circle he had been etching into the porch. He had been chased from his sister’s side after bringing her back shivering and feverish. Especially since the best answer is that she had been swimming and then collapsed.

Which _isn’t_ a lie, but he makes is sound less immediate than it had been.

He looks past the porch and sees a young girl leaning forward with her arms crossed behind her back. Her hair is collected in a sideways braid and she’s dressed in what looks like a gown made from leaves. John stands up, leery of the stranger.

“I’m not dumb!” He crosses his arms.

The girl raises a brow, “sure, and I’m the Queen of England.”

He takes a step closer to the steps of the porch, “who are you anyway?”

“Veronica – although that’s not what most people call me,” she grins, “and you’re John.”

He shoves his hands in his pockets and turns to the door. His mom should be told, this weird girl shouldn’t know his name.

“Wouldn’t do that if I were you.”

“What are you going to do about it?” He turns back, wishing he had a light spell to see the girl better.

The firefly lamp is only so bright. It is only meant as a ward against the shadows, but she doesn’t seem like that – but she doesn’t feel like any of his coven either. John wonders if she is a practitioner of lost magic.

“Nothing,” she sways back and stands up tall, “but I’ll tell them what actually happened today – so you’ll be in more trouble than I am.”

John turns back around, “you don’t know.”

“No?”

“No.”

Veronica laughs, and he supposes that it’s a pretty laugh for a strange girl from the woods. He inches closer.

“You summoned a Lord of the Forest – a bad one at that – and don’t think that’s going to get around?”

John swallows, “you can’t know that.”

“But I do,” Veronica huffs, “and just about every other citizen of the forest knows too. You promised yourself, that’s not a parlor trick.”

He grits his teeth and jumps from the porch, marching up to the line the girl hasn’t crossed. John figures that she can’t. What she is, he doesn’t know, but not being able to cross the boundary means that she’s bad news.

“That means you are, too.” Veronica tilts her head, “you think a bit loud.”

John claps his hands over his ears.

Veronica raises an eyebrow and shakes her head.

“I chose not to cross it.”

“Why?” John frowns, “why not attack?”

Veronica crosses her arms, “I wat to help – well my clan does.”

“By killing me?”

“That’d be a waste.”

John narrows his eyes. Even as close as he is, Veronica’s features remain shrouded. Like she doesn’t want him to see what she is – or he can’t see her true form but he can see past her glamor.

“Now you’re catching on.”

“What do you want?”

“As I said, my clan wants to help you.”

“I don’t need their help,” John replies.

Angering this strange person who isn’t crossing his family’s strongest barrier by choice might not be his wisest option but he can’t help it. He doesn’t want to be involved with anything she is.

“You’ll be something you don’t want to be without our help.”

John turns around. He wants to see his sister. Make sure that the deal hasn’t been broken. This girl will go away someday. His stride stops at the bottom of the step.

“What do you mean?” John turns around.

“You promised yourself to practice _our_ magic,” Veronica hums, “but practicing alone is how you go very bad.”

He shoves his shaking hands in his jumper pocket, “I won’t go bad.”

“We’re the good Spriggans – or as near to good as you could think of us.”

John pulls on his finger and bites his cheek. He looks back at the house. His mother knows he’s different – his father was giving him a heavy frown when he refused to explain what happened to Julie. John hadn’t thought. There was only one way to save his sister – he couldn’t let her death be his fault.

“You know that bargain was more than you promised,” Veronica says lightly, “baby sis was a little past the average deal.”

“Don’t talk about her,” John whisper-shouts, “I don’t want to think about any of this.”

“You’re a vassal of the forest John, that’s not a deal you can run away from. Let my family help you. Give yourself a fighting chance to keep yourself for when that day comes.”

John looks at the firefly light and back to Veronica who has her head titled. He pulls his hands out. The scar that he had created this morning to summon the Lord is already healed. He isn’t – he isn’t like his family anymore.

“What do we do?”

**Author's Note:**

> Hey! Context.  
> That's fun.
> 
> As always, leave your thoughts and comments below or come talk to me on Tumblr!


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